1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method for the treatment of hypertension comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a vitamin E derivative to a hypertensive.
2. Description of Prior Arts
Hypertension is a common geriatric disease. With the recent increase of the number of the aged, the number of patients having hypertension is increasing. Accordingly, the treatment of hypertension is a very important problem, but since a great variety of factors are considered as causes of hypertension, no decisive method has been developed.
As known antihypertensive agents, there can be mentioned Reserpine type drugs, Adrenergic blocking agents, Diuretic and hypotensive agents such as hydrochlorothiazide, hydralazine drugs and Dopa decarboxylase inhibitors. Each of these antihypertensive agents has various troublesome side effects, such as described below.
(1) Reserpine, one of the rauwolfia alkaloids, is an antihypertensive agent which has been used for a long time, but it produces undesirable side effects caused by inhibition of the central nervous system, such as asthenic feeling.
(2) Adrenergic blocking agents represented by phenoxybenzamine produce such undesirable side effects as orthostatic hypotensive asthenia and tachycardia.
(3) Diuretic and hypotensive agents such as hydrochlorothiazide have a moderate hypotensive activity and are used for the treatment of hypertension, but if they are administered for a long time, such undesirable side effects as hypokalemia, hypercirycemia and manifestation of latent diabetes are produced.
(4) Hydralazine has a high hypotensive activity, but because of the function mechanism of this agent, it increases the amount of blood fed to the heart and the pulse frequency and thus increases the load on the heart. Accordingly, it cannot be administered to patients having cardiac insufficiency and coronary insufficiency. Further, as frequently occurring, undesirable side effects, there are mentioned multiple arthritis resembling rheumatic arthritis and lupus erythematosus.
(5) Dopa decarboxylase inhibitors represented by l-.alpha.-Methyl Dopa have a high hypotensive activity, but when they are administered for a long time, such undesirable side effects as mammary hypertrophy, paraesthesia, nightmare and Parkisonism are produced.
As is apparent from the foregoing considerations, the known antihypertensive agents are insufficient with respect to the durability of the hypotensive effect and reduction of side effects. Accordingly, development of antihypertensive agents having a higher activity and a higher safety has been desired in the art.